Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

German town of Dresden was once rubble, but is now reborn

After being bombed into oblivion during World War II, Dresdent shapes a vibrant future

Visitors gather in the courtyard of the Zwinger palace complex in Dresden. The eastern German town was flattened in World War II and oppressed by the Soviets for decades.

Photograph by: Rick Steves
, for Postmedia News

At exactly 10:15 a.m. in the court-yard of the Zwinger palace complex in Dresden, 40 Meissen porcelain bells began a sweet three-minute melody. I left the shelter of my guide's umbrella to get a closer look at the glockenspiel. Squinting into a mist, I could just see the porcelain bells vibrate when hit. I was mesmerized by this little royal trick.

Then I realized I was on a Dresden high. In an eastern German town I've known for just a few years, I had enjoyed great sights and new insights.

The Wettin Dynasty ruled Saxony from Dresden for eight centuries, right up until the end of the First World War. Their Louis XIV-style big shot was Augustus the Strong. They say he could break horseshoes with his bare hands and fathered 365 children. He loved being portrayed with the rose of Luther (symbol of the Protestant movement in Germany) being crushed under his horse's hoof.

The Wettins taught the rest of Europe's royal courts the art and importance of having their own porcelain works. The Wettins' Meissen was the first. I thought I knew the best crown jewels ... until I saw the glittering Wettin jewels in Dresden's "Historic Green Vault" - which requires an advance reservation to see. They're absolutely dazzling, and a clear reminder that those Wettins were a powerhouse in their day.

After lingering to enjoy a group of street musicians, I zipped out to Volkswagen's "Transparent Factory" on the edge of Dresden, where visitors are welcome to watch fancy new models actually being assembled. The factory is so politically correct that parts are brought in by special "cargo trams" which congest the city's traffic less than trucks.

Back in town, along the Elbe River, I headed for the terrace called the Balcony of Europe - once Dresden's defensive rampart. By baroque times, fortresses were no longer necessary, and this became one of Europe's most charming promenades. A stroll beneath a leafy canopy of linden trees to the balcony's east end takes you to the Albertinum, which houses several of Dresden's best collections: the Sculpture Collection and the New Masters Gallery, featuring works by 19th-and 20th-century greats such as Renoir, Rodin, van Gogh, Degas and Klimt.

Finally, the highlight: The restored Frauenkirche - the heart and soul of the city. Dresden's 310-foot-tall Church of Our Lady was destroyed during the massive Allied bombings that flattened two-thirds of the city on Feb. 13, 1945.

The church sat in ruins for decades. Finally, in 1992, a huge international rebuilding effort was launched. Like a massive jigsaw puzzle, the church was painstakingly reassembled using as much of the original stone as possible, and reopened to the public in 2005. The interior is stunning: Pastel to heighten the festive nature of the worship, curvy balconies to enhance the feeling of community and with seven equal doors - to welcome all equally and send worshippers out symbolically to all corners to share their enthusiasm for their faith.

My visit to Dresden had started rocky. Riding the express train into town, I figured it would end at the main station. The train pulled into Dresden Neustadt - the New City of Dresden. It sounded good to me. Most of the passengers got out. So did I. The train took off. I must have walked 20 minutes, in denial that I had got off at the wrong station. After circling the big block - and pretty embarrassed at my mistake - I pondered cutting my losses and just taking a taxi to my hotel in the Old Town. But another train was leaving in minutes for what must be the central station. I hopped on. Five minutes later we arrived. I hopped out at Dresden Mitte. The train took off and I stepped outside, only to realize: I had made the same mistake again. Another train came in a few minutes. I got on it and finally made it to my intended station: Dresden Hauptbahnhof - a block from my hotel. As I tell travellers in lectures: "Many towns have more than one train station."

One of my best skills - extremely helpful in my line of work - is the ability to make mistakes ... with gusto. After a day in Dresden, the frustrating start was a distant memory. And I had a new appreciation of a city that nearly 70 years ago lay in smouldering rubble, 25 years ago was in a U.S.S.R.-imposed economic hole and today has caught up with Western Germany.

Today's Dresden is a young and vibrant city, crawling with proud locals and happy-go-lucky students who barely remember communism. While the city is packed with tourists, most of them are German or Russian. Until North Americans rediscover Dresden, you'll feel like you're in on a secret.

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.

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